


Hit The Bottom

by The_Lady_smaell



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Amora is a pain in the ass, Asgardian magic sucks, BAMF Bruce, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Has Issues, For Science!, Getting Together, M/M, Oblivious Tony Stark, Science Boyfriends, Tony Has Issues, Tony has a problem.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 18:44:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lady_smaell/pseuds/The_Lady_smaell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is used to being able to get out of situations because he is 'Tony Stark: Billionaire,Genius, Playboy, Philanthropist.' But happens when all that is stripped from him and he truly 'Hit's the bottom? Will anyone be able to see beneath the mask before it's too late or will Tony succumb? And what the hell has Bruce been hiding from him? *See inside for warnings. Eventual SciBF's*</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hit The Bottom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lady Laran](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Lady+Laran).



> A/N: Okay... So I needed a little downtime from writing Daddy Dearest, I just wrote like 3 and a half chapters in a week... That's never happened before ever! So I've been toying with this idea for a while and thought I'd give it a crack. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: Alas the boys are not mine! I wish they were but it isn't to be.
> 
> Dedication: To Lady Laran for pushing my science boyfriend's button into overdrive XD.
> 
> Warnings: Uh... Lots of language, some slashiness, feels, Minor OC's, possible OOCness and magic.

Hit The Bottom.

The battle was rapidly devolving into a complete and utter disaster.

Tony dodged another barrage of fireballs that seemed to be locking onto his suit and swore colorfully under his breath as a variety of warning lights flashed up on his HUD. Right now all he wanted to be doing was sitting on his private beach in Malibu, drinking a cocktail he couldn't pronounce and possibly spamming S.H.I.E.L.D's servers for shits and giggles.

But _noooooo_ today of all days Amora the 'I'm a pain in Tony Stark's ass' Enchantress decided she just _had_ to attack New York.

_I really fucking hate magic._

The billionaire executed a tricky aerial maneuver to dodge the incoming fireballs, letting off a few repulsor blasts to cover the rest of the team who were battling what looked like flaming gargoyles below him.

"Stark! Your nine o'clock!"

Barton's voice blared across the com's but it was already too late, the blast of energy slammed into his side sending Iron Man careening through a maze of scaffolding and into the empty office building. The impact was rough, pain screaming through every nerve ending as Tony skidded along the floor the suit being rendered completely useless by whatever had hit him.

"God fucking damn it! Come on you piece of junk reboot!" The billionaire snarled, frantically trying to restart the suits internal systems.

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" The cool voice of the Enchantress echoed around the darkened helmet.

_Well shit._

Tony felt a weight settle across his chest and then the whole world was thrown into sharp relief as the face-plate lifted upwards.

"Looks like I caught myself a Stark."

"Oh lucky you." The billionaire shot back sarcastically and without fear.

Amora's face twisted into a cruel smirk and she grabbed hold of Tony's face; squeezing his cheeks together. Her green eyes glittered with malice as her long nails dug into soft flesh.

"Hey toots hands off the merchandise." Stark murmured through fish shaped lips, hiding a wince of pain.

There was a soft chuckle as the Enchantress released her grip.

"Always have something to say don't you Stark? If you were anyone else you would have been in a world of trouble a long, long time ago."

Tony's eyes narrowed at the woman sat across his chest and he flashed her a sardonic smile.

"One of the perks of being me I guess."

"Well let's see if we can change that."

_Oh **that** doesn't sound good._

The Enchantress's magic flared all around her; illuminating the empty floor and sending debris everywhere. It swirled in a glowing cyclone of raw power and it made the hairs on the back of the billionaire's neck stand on end.

"You are nothing but a spoiled brat Stark and you don't see how you affect those around you..." Amora pointed her finger at Tony "...You wear your wealth and your words like a mask to block out what you do not wish to see; even the misery of your own team-mates and you say that I am the evil one? How blind you are..." the woman's voice was rising in pitch becoming shrill "...Let us see if anyone can see beneath that mask, sees the real you and then opens your eyes before it is too late."

Tony tried to retort but it was as if his voice had been stolen from him. All he could do was stare eyes wide as the spell hit him square in the chest and made his world fade to black.

 

When Tony came too he felt like utter shit and was already swearing vengeance against the bitch Amora. Head groggy and still disorientated the billionaire hauled himself to his feet and quickly surveyed the area.

The good news was that he recognized the area.

The bad news was that it was about twenty blocks away from the tower.

The billionaire gave a groan as he started moving; his whole body protesting every tiny movement. Whatever Amora had hit him with it apparently hadn't been a fatal blow but Tony was certainly feeling it and he noticed (with a pang of annoyance) that it had also removed his armor.

He really _fucking hated magic._

But at least his modesty (insert mental laugh here) had been spared.

Sighing and resolving himself to the long walk back to the tower the engineer gave his muscles a quick stretch before starting off at a brisk pace.

Before long the monumental presence of Stark Tower loomed overhead and the billionaire had never been happier to see it. All he wanted to do was crawl into his ridiculously oversized bathtub, waste the next few hours of his life doing fuck all and then possibly rope Bruce into trying to figure out a way to nullify Amora's magic.

Because this shit was _not_ , repeat _not_ happening again.

Tony strolled through the doors casually just happy to be back on home turf and headed toward the elevator unaware of the odd stares piercing his back until he went to push the button leading to the penthouse.

"Excuse me _Sir_ ; I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave." A broad hand clamped down on his shoulder spinning the billionaire around.

Tony's temper flared; did they not know who _paid_ their fucking wages? Clearly not since they seemed insistent on biting the hand that fed them and he really wasn't in the mood for this.

"Listen you idiot..."

He snarled and then stopped aghast, that hadn't been his voice. Even if it had been the words that had spilled from his mouth were certainly not what he had said, what had emerged was a series of grunts and incoherent moans.

What the fuck had Amora done to him?

He didn't have long to ponder on this as the hand that had previously been resting on his shoulder was now gripping the top of his arm tightly and was dragging him back toward the entrance. Survival instinct kicking in Tony twisted out of the man's grasp and made a bee-line for the elevator; adrenaline pumping wildly through his veins.

He didn't make it very far.

Virtually as soon as he'd taken three steps two more security guards had tackled him to the ground. He whimpered as pain shot through his already abused body and he went limp in their arms as they hauled him up. The billionaire offered no resistance as the guards practically carried him out and as they moved into view of the glass doors Tony saw for the first time the full extent of what had been done to him.

_Oh holy fuck._

Gone were the perfectly maintained looks and expensive clothing. In its place was a gnarled husk of a man dressed in ragged clothing (honestly; it looked as if his pants were held up with string) with a mane of grey hair so wild it would take three barbers at least to tame it.

Whatever fight the billionaire had left drained from him as the shock kicked in and he allowed himself to be 'carried' from the building.

The two guards tossed him roughly into a nearby alley with a little more force than was necessary sending Tony into a pile of rubbish bags. He let out a groan as he rolled off the stinking garbage on to his back, staring at the murky sky between the two buildings.

_What the hell am I going to do now?_

He knew he was in a bad situation he'd been in them before it was nothing new but before he'd been Tony Stark; genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist and now...

Now he was a nothing, a nobody who couldn't even speak.

Amora had done exactly what she said she was going to do and had stripped him of his fundamentals and Tony felt completely naked and totally out of his depth. No one was going to believe who he was, even if he was able to communicate it to anyone.

"Hey, are you alright?" The question was quiet and hesitant.

Tony sat up at the sound of the voice hope rising in his chest, he knew that voice it was one he'd heard every day for the last six months.

Bruce.

The physicist stood at the end of the alleyway a look of worry on his face, he hesitated for a brief second then he strode forward rolling up his sleeves. On the floor the billionaire felt a wave of relief crash over him as he shook his head at the other man vainly trying to communicate. Bruce knelt down beside him and tried to look reassuring as he gave him a quick examination.

"Sorry about the security guards; they tend to get a little over zealous. I'm here to help you..."

Tony felt himself smile at the other man despite what was happening. Bruce really was one of a kind; he'd never met anyone who was as patient (he put up with Tony's antics on a daily basis) and genuinely thoughtful as he was even with his big green house guest. He was never one to overlook a person in need and now more than ever the billionaire appreciated it.

"Okay, I'm going to check if you have a concussion; I need you to follow my finger with your eyes, can you do that?"

Tony rolled his eyes and the physicist squinted at him in confusion before shaking his head and raising his finger in front of the billionaire's face. Tony followed the finger as it moved in front of his eyes until Bruce was satisfied and moved back.

"Well it doesn't look like you have a concussion..." there was genuine relief in his voice "...And besides some bruising you appear to be in good health. Do you have anywhere that you can go to rest?"

The billionaire frowned; of course he didn't have anywhere to go, he'd just been kicked out of the only place in the city he would feel safe enough to rest up in. The other man seemed to read the facial expression and sighed softly.

"I'm going to take that as a no then..." He looked thoughtful for a second and then a small smile broke out across his face "... I have somewhere for you to go, it will only be temporary until you get back on your feet but it's warm and dry and you'll get a hot meal."

Bruce was babbling a little and Tony had to admit he would have found it rather adorable under different circumstances but right now he was currently trying to not Freak. The. Fuck. Out. The physicist held out his hand and Tony felt his eyes go slightly wide; Bruce never initiated contact, it was just one of the many things that the other man just didn't do... Or at least that was what he had thought. Amora's words suddenly came flooding back to him and Tony felt his heart thump hard in his chest; did he make Bruce feel uncomfortable?

Unwilling to delve down that particular train of thought without more evidence the billionaire reached out and grasped the outstretched hand knowing that it was his only chance.

 

Bruce led the homeless man down the back streets of New York and into one of the more run down areas. He had to be honest he had no idea why he'd gone to help the other man but there had just been something familiar about him that he couldn't quite place. He had the same odd feeling when he'd been examining him; the guy had rolled his eyes in a way that had been so reminiscent of Tony it had taken every ounce of his control not to gasp in surprise.

And speaking of the erstwhile Mr. Stark.

He still hadn't called in or contacted the tower in any way, shape or form and if the physicist was being honest he was starting to get worried. It wasn't that he didn't trust Tony; far from it in fact, he trusted the billionaire far more than he probably should. It just wasn't like him to drop off the grid entirely.

Shaking his head Bruce decided to focus on the task at hand he still had his new 'friend' to help out.

The two of them approached a dilapidated building and Bruce had to suppress an exasperated sigh at the look of distaste on the homeless man's face.

"I know it doesn't look like much but they will look after you well."

The man rolled his eyes again and crossed his arms his body language clearly stating that he didn't believe him. This time he didn't bother hiding the sigh and he narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Listen... I'm not sure what you're used to but if you are going to be ungrateful then forget it... I may have offered my help but you were the one who accepted it." His tone was stern.

The message seemed to get across, the man bowed his head slightly a blush of shame crossing his cheeks and Bruce felt a little ashamed; he was meant to be helping this man not reprimanding him.

"Sorry that was uncalled for..."

The homeless man held up his hand in a 'stop' gesture and the physicist just smiled knowing that the man hadn't been offended by his bluntness. He placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on his shoulder and flashed a small smile.

At the casual contact Tony felt a jolt of electricity run through him, he'd never seen the other man this relaxed and it made him feel good in ways he couldn't quite explain. He stared at Bruce, brow furrowed in contemplation as he tried to figure out just what was different about his friend and why exactly he was so aware of the change but he didn't have long to think as Bruce ushered them inside.

"Doctor Jones, you're back!" A thick Hispanic voice called out as the two men entered.

Almost instantly the two men were set up on by a large set woman with steel grey hair and Tony watched as Bruce was dragged into a bone crushing hug. Again the billionaire felt that small trickle of _something_ as he watched the interaction and it made him frown.

"I was so worried when you just disappeared like that, running off to a battlefield?! What were you thinking?!"

The physicist managed to extract himself from the woman's arms and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm fine Consuela, you had nothing to worry about and besides they needed all the help they could get."

Consuela humphed and placed her hands on her hips in an overbearing motherly fashion.

"Nothing to worry about? You could have been killed and then where would we be? The Sanctuary needs you Martin Jones!"

_Martin Jones..._

Tony felt himself smile.

Martin Jones had been an alias Tony had cooked up for Bruce after being subjected to the entire third season of Doctor Who. He'd been amused and quite vocal at the similarities between the character Martha and his friend (both not fully qualified medical doctors, running around the world, being a total badass beneath a quite meek exterior, having to deal with a crazy genius on a regular basis) much to Bruce's annoyance. So being the generous soul that he was he had promptly modeled a fake ID and drivers license under the pseudonym gleefully handing it to the physicist who had just rolled his eyes, hiding a smile.

"You're over exaggerating my worth Consuela." Bruce replied modestly.

The woman looked as if she was about to smack the physicist around the head but she appeared to control herself and to be fair Tony was totally with her; Bruce really undervalued himself.

"So... Who is your friend Doctor Jones?" Consuela asked, turning kind eyes upon the billionaire.

"Uh... This is..."

In the background the TV was playing highlights of the battle and there was a loop of Iron Man repulsoring some of the butt-ugly gargoyles in the face while the female reporter spoke. Frantically Tony tugged on Bruce's sleeve and pointed to the screen hoping that the physicist would get a clue and recognize who he was.

Unfortunately karma was being a bit of a bitch today.

Bruce squinted at the screen and them watched as Tony gestured between himself and his on screen avatar; adding two and two together and making three point five.

"Iron Man? Your name is..." Suddenly realization dawned "... Oh! Your name is Tony!"

The billionaire nodded wildly, sure it wasn't exactly what he wanted but hey it was a start. Consuela chuckled at the exchange and moved behind the reception desk, pulling out a stack of forms and handing them to Bruce.

"You and your strays Doc. You know the drill he's got to fill those out if he wants to stay."

The physicist nodded and looked at Tony who also nodded his assent. The place may have been shabby but at least it was better than sleeping on the streets, even he could acknowledge _that_. The two men sat down on the cheap furniture and Bruce laid the forms out flat on the stained coffee table.

"So... Do you need any help filling these in?"

Tony shook his head and then mentally face palmed, how had he not thought of it sooner? He didn't have to talk to communicate, he could write. Grabbing the pen and the form Tony went to explain the situation using the written word but as soon as the pen hit the paper his mind drew a blank.

He couldn't...

He couldn't remember how to write.

Amora had really gone the whole fucking hog to strip Tony of all forms of communication and he grit his teeth, biting back tears of frustration and defeat. Bruce noticed the abrupt change in the man and leaned forward catching the man's gaze in an attempt to figure out what was wrong. He felt his heart stutter as he stared into familiar brown eyes full of pain but as the man blinked the familiarity seemed to disappear and the physicist had to wonder if he'd been seeing things.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" He asked as kindly as he could.

Tony pushed down his (admittedly warranted) temper tantrum and tossed the paper back on the desk; choosing instead to glare at it with a fierce intensity hoping it would spontaneously combust.

After that things progressed smoothly if not slowly. It took a little while to get the form filled in but with the patience Tony envied Bruce of the task was completed and soon the billionaire was settled in his 'room', if you could even call it that? It was a small cramped space consisting of a bed, an ancient dresser, a chair that had certainly seen better days and a sink that looked about ready to fall off the wall, Tony had honestly seen hotel dumpsters that were more appealing.

It must have shown on his face because the next thing he knew there was a finger prodding him in between the shoulder blades and Bruce giving him a slightly disapproving look. The billionaire held up his hands in an 'I surrender' gesture and then bowed slightly to show his rather insincere thanks.

"I know it isn't much but it's safer than being on the streets."

Tony nodded hating that the other man was right, he sat down on the bed and had to admit it wasn't the _worst_ thing he'd ever slept on (Although it _really_ wasn't far off). In the doorway Bruce still hovered looking unsure as to whether he should go or stay, deciding for the other man Tony beckoned the physicist into the room. He hesitated for the briefest of seconds before striding in and sitting down on the worn out looking chair, fidgeting uncomfortably. The billionaire rolled his eyes and on impulse poked Bruce in the arm; startling him from whatever little dream world he had wandered into.

Again there was another one of those moments where Bruce just seemed to see right through him before shaking his head. Tony could have screamed in frustration but instead shot the man a pointed look.

A look which of course the physicist misinterpreted.

"Uh sorry, you just reminded me of a friend of mine, he finds it… _amusing_ to startle me."

Tony smirked at his friend's eloquent way of saying 'He messes with me just for the sake of messing with me' and raised his eyebrow as if to say 'go on'; it would be interesting to hear what the other man really thought of him. Apparently Bruce caught on to his meaning and shrugged.

"He's a good guy really, even though he wants people to believe otherwise but he can be frustrating and sometimes I just want to smash his head against the wall just so he'll leave me alone…" He let out a small warm laugh "… But I honestly don't know what I would have done without him; he's helped me far more than he could ever know. Not that I'd ever tell him, he's got a big enough ego as it is."

The billionaire sat in slightly awestruck while his friend prattled on, his voice warm and his body language calm and completely at ease. Tony had never heard anyone speak so, well _glowingly_ about him, it seemed a little surreal. Even more surreal was the fact that it was _Bruce_ saying these things; Bruce 'I must suppress every emotion lest I turn into the jolly green giant and destroy all the city' Banner. The man the phrase 'emotionally constipated' had been invented for. But here was the evidence to the contrary slapping Tony in the face, Bruce actually cared about him and that in itself was no small deal.

It was strangely humbling and made a rather odd combination of emotions well up inside his breast.

_How have I not noticed this before?_

Amora's words pierced his brain again like sharp tacks and the billionaire felt somewhat foolish at his apparent blindness. The physicist seemed to pick up on his discomfort and gave a small polite cough before standing up, clearly intending to leave.

"Uh listen, I should go… I need to check and see if my um… Friend has shown up. But I'll come back tomorrow if you like?"

The first thought to cross Tony's mind was _'oh god please don't leave me here'_ but he knew that was something that was currently unavoidable but Bruce had offered to come back and the billionaire jumped on the opportunity, nodding emphatically. The physicist flashed a soft, genuine smile and Tony felt his heart twist; Bruce never smiled like that around the tower.

"I'll see you tomorrow then..."

And Bruce walked out the door leaving the billionaire alone.

Tony flopped down on the vile bed his whole body aching, for a while he just stared at the wall mulling over everything he had seen and heard throughout the day before falling into a fitful sleep.

 

_**"You... You selfish brat!"**_

_**A hand connects with a cheek with resounding force.** _

_**Brown eyes turn green and a roar of anguish not fury pierces the air and then he is falling, despair gripping his heart at the thought of not seeing them, not seeing him again.** _

_**The world falls away and he is left exposed.** _

_**Falling...** _

_**Falling...** _

_**Suddenly it stops; a large arm stopping his descent.** _

_**Always just in time.** _

_**Always having his back.** _

_**Never running because he asks.** _

_**This time there is a different kind of falling; it's warm and he knows he's safe because there is someone there with him… Ready to catch him...** _

Tony jumped awake with a start feeling confused and disorientated, the images of his dream quickly fading from his mind. For the briefest of moments he hoped that what had transpired yesterday? Today? (His internal clock was still out of whack) Had just been a messed up nightmare and that he was safe in the tower but a quick look around told him otherwise. He was still in the ninth circle of hell.

A knock at the door made him jump and he debated for a second about not opening when Consuela's voice piped through the wood.

"There is food up if you want some; I ain't forcing you but you look as if you need a good meal."

Tony's stomach grumbled at the mention of food apparently loud enough for the older woman to hear it and she let out a rusty laugh while Tony blushed to his ears.

"Sounds like your stomach agrees; I'll set you a place, dining room is at the end of the hall on the right."

He could hear the soft footsteps as she padded away and slowly he stood up stretching out his still abused muscles. All he really wanted to do was crawl back into the uncomfortable bed but Consuela had been right, he really needed to eat. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd done so and according to most people that was a pretty bad thing. Reluctantly the billionaire sauntered out the door and down the hall in search of the dining room.

The room in question was more of an area than a room, like everything else in the sanctuary it was small and shabby but relatively well maintained. There were a few people dotted around the room sat at the small two seat tables happily chowing down on what smelt like some kind of curry and in the background the TV was on, blaring out some god awful reality TV program. Tony felt his mouth water at the smell but he felt lost in this sea of nobodies and he didn't know where to start. That was until a large hand clapped him on the shoulder and the billionaire spun around ready to fight.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there buddy. I'm a friend."

Tony lowered his raised fist and had the decency to look at least a little bit ashamed at his outburst. The man just chuckled in response, clapping his hand down on Tony's shoulder again.

"Hey don't worry about it, ain't the first time and won't been the last. Name's Eric, Consuela asked me to hook you up with some grub."

Eric was a swarthy man in his late fifties decked out in a lumberjack shirt and a pair of beat up denims; he had a warm smile on his face as he showed Tony to a seat and grabbed a bowl of curry and rice which he placed in front of the billionaire.

"'Ere dig in."

Tony didn't need any more prompting and shoveled a forkful into his mouth. He almost moaned at how good it tasted but that could have been because he hadn't eaten in a while. He moved in for a second forkful when something clicked in his memory as he chewed, he'd had this before, back at the tower; the exact same recipe. Eric chuckled at the enthusiastic eating pulling up a chair next to Tony with his own bowl.

"Good yeah'? The Doc always makes it when he visits; said he learned how to make it when he was doing missionary work around India."

Tony almost dropped the fork in shock. Bruce had made this? He hadn't even been aware the man could cook let alone something this delicious. So did that mean he'd been the one to cook it back in the tower? Tony had just assumed it had been from a random takeout joint and hadn't questioned when they'd never gotten it again.

God he was an idiot.

A complete colossal idiot.

Why was it only _now_ that he was seeing all the little things the other man seemed to do for him, without any recognition or thanks? The thought that he'd been so ungrateful made his stomach turn and he suddenly didn't feel like eating anymore but he didn't want to waste what had been made so he plowed on taking small measured bites. The delicious food filling his stomach but leaving a cold and unwelcome feeling in his chest. He finished his bowl and pushed it away gently signaling that he was full and Eric took it away with no questions.

"Bloody Avengers they ruin everything!"

Tony's head craned around and frowned. The TV had once again changed to a news broadcast showing the battle in downtown and sat in front of it was man roughly the same age as Tony a snarl twisting his features. The man stood up clearly angry and pushed the TV off of the stand sending it crashing to the floor before storming out.

What the hell had that been about?

Beside him Eric had reappeared and let out a long suffering sigh.

"Sorry about that, Danny's been through a lot and he doesn't really mean what he says. He knows those guys were trying to help but when you lose everything in the aftermath and there is no one there to help you pick up the pieces it's kinda hard not to feel bitter."

Tony tried to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat; he hadn't realized that people had been suffering so much in the Avengers wake. None of them had, not really, none of them except Bruce and he done what little he could to try and repair some of the damage. Well there wasn't much Tony could do right now but there was something; standing up he made his way over to the destroyed television and picked up the pieces to see if it was salvageable.

It was.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Eric ran over to him a concerned look on his face, watching as the other man placed the smashed up device on the table and began fiddling with it. Tony smirked feeling a bit more like himself; there was something about fixing things and getting his hands dirty that just calmed him. He'd fixed what he could without tools and turned a pleading eye to Eric; miming a screwdriver while the man just gaped in shock.

"Well I'll be damned..." He whistled and went in search of tools.

He reappeared minutes later hauling a rusted old tool box and Tony eagerly grabbed at it rummaging through for the bits and pieces he needed. It took some time but soon he had repaired the television and Eric began thanking him profusely, clapping that large hand of his repeatedly on Tony's shoulder. The billionaire merely shrugged in response and stood up ready to turn in for the night.

He hadn't made it far down the corridor when he heard Eric run up behind him.

"H-hey!"

Tony turned around and folded his arms across his chest, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Eric grinned and slowed to halt.

"I know this is cheeky but can you fix other stuff?... Besides TV's I mean?"

For a moment he considered saying no but then the little voice of his conscience spoke up saying that he shouldn't be so ungrateful and Tony gave a reluctant nod. The look on Eric's face lit up like a thousand arc-reactors with hope.

"Would ya' possibly mind taking a look at some stuff? I mean... If you want to that is I ain't forcing ya' it's just most people here are shop workers and the like so not much expertise in stuff like that... Normally the Doc takes a look when he's got the time but he's been pretty busy recently..."

Tony would have laughed if he could, there was something that he just found amusing at the man's earnest rambling and before he'd even realized it he'd agreed to help.

"Thanks, you're a good man."

And for the first time in a long time Tony actually sort of believed it.

 

Bruce walked back to the tower deep in thought; absent mindedly he took out the phone Tony had given him when he'd moved in.

_No new messages._

He really was starting to worry Tony never went off the grid entirely and certainly not for such a length of time. He always rang in after a few hours, usually with a cheeky quip and a 'did you miss me'. But it had been twelve hours and there hadn't been any news, he quickly texted JARVIS to see if he had any contact.

**'JARVIS have you had any luck locating Tony or the suit?'**

**'No Doctor Banner, Sir has yet to reappear.'**

Bruce felt his heart drop.

**'Thank you JARVIS, please keep me updated.'**

**'Of course Doctor Banner.'**

The physicist suppressed a sigh and continued back to the tower lost in thought but strangely enough his mind kept drifting back to the 'other' Tony. He couldn't explain it but he felt as if he _knew_ the strange man, it was like an itch in the back of his mind. Maybe he was just missing his friend and was seeing things in the other man that weren't really there, it certainly wouldn't be the least sane thing he'd ever done. There was a chiding growl in the back of his mind; Hulk clearly didn't think that he was merely projecting and more often than not the 'Other Guy's' instincts were spot on.

So that meant he somehow knew the guy, but from where he had absolutely no idea.

The tower loomed in front of Bruce and he sighed; deciding to put the matter to one side for the time being. He'd had a long day and all he wanted to do now was crawl into a bed and sleep away the next week or so but he knew that was unlikely to happen. Until his friend was found he probably wouldn't any real rest; the Hulk wouldn't let him and to be honest he wouldn't let himself, afraid that if he did he end up waking to the worst possible news.

It would be more than his heart could take.

 

The next morning Tony awoke feeling dizzy and disorientated; his head spinning from whatever dream had been playing in his psyche. He groaned as he rolled over, almost falling out of the small cot-like bed and onto the less than hygienic floor, just managing to right himself in time before eating a faceful of carpet.

_Well that would have been embarrassing._

Finally rousing fully the billionaire just sighed and surveyed his surroundings stopping as his eyes caught a small bundle of cloth on the chair with a note pinned to the top. Someone had been in this room during the night; the thought made Tony shudder. Somewhat hesitantly he picked up the note eyes scanning the messy handwriting.

**'Thought a new set of threads would do you good, sorry it isn't much. Bathrooms are last doors at the end of the corridor - Eric'**

Although still not happy that someone had invaded his privacy Tony was genuinely touched by the gesture, people didn't often just _do_ nice things for him without expecting an obscene amount of money in return. Grabbing the small bundle he raced from the room and headed in the direction of the bathrooms, a small smile on his lips.

Half a hour later he emerged from what he now dubbed the best shower in the memory of existence (he had needed to be clean that much it warranted the title) clad in a second hand pair of cargo pants and a loose-fitting long sleeved black t-shirt. He didn't know how Eric had guessed he'd be comfortable in such clothing but he was grateful to the man.

Feeling more like himself Tony headed toward the dining room hoping to score some breakfast and not at all to find Eric and thank him. He entered the room reveling in the fabulous smell of cooking bacon and spotted Eric across the room; who was sitting at a table with another man he didn't know. The billionaire walked over and gave a wave as the other man noticed him; standing to come and meet him. Eric flashed him a warm smile as he guided Tony over to the table.

"See you got ma' package; had to guess your size mind but not bad for hand-me-downs."

Tony wouldn't have dared argued even if he'd been able to speak, he was arrogant not an idiot and now that he'd taken a proper look at his 'guide' he seriously suspected that the man was ex-military. He took a seat across from Eric's friend eyeing the bacon sandwich in front of him hungrily and waited patiently.

"Alex this is... Tony, right?" Tony nodded "Alex here is the 'handyman' in this dump."

Alex gave a soft snort and brushed his long bangs out of his face, rolling his eyes. He was a young man in his mid-twenties and was dressed like any metro sexual male that fell into that age group.

"What the old fart _actually_ means is that I worked construction for a few weeks and therefore that qualifies me as knowing all there is to know about maintaining an entire building."

Eric glared at the young man but Tony found himself smirking at his snark.

"Alex knock it off, you're not exactly endearing yourself to the guy who is going to be helping you."

That immediately caused the younger man to shut up and he gaped slightly.

"This?! This is the electrical genius you were talking about?! He looks older than you are."

Tony's gaze narrowed and Alex hastily retracted his statement.

"Not that that's bad thing... I mean... Uh I should just shut up now shouldn't I?"

Both Tony and Eric nodded as the older man clapped a hand on the younger's shoulder, a wicked smile on his lips.

"That would probably be for the best son."

Alex gulped.

The rest of the morning flew by; Alex kept him busy and amused in equal measure, his snarky sense of humor a breath of fresh air and as lunch rolled around Tony found him less despairing of his situation. When they reconvened in the dining room Bruce was there and he flashed a small strained smile Tony's way and the billionaire tried to ignore the twist in his stomach at the sight of it.

"I see you're keeping yourself busy." The physicist stated.

Tony shrugged in reply as Alex stepped in.

"Busy Doc? The guy is a fucking machine, we got more done today than I have in weeks; he is a genius he managed to mend the Air-con with duct tape and a screwdriver. _Duct tape and a screwdriver_."

Bruce stared at him brows furrowed as if mentally calculating the square root of Pi to a hundred digits and it made Tony's stomach flop. Then seconds later he dropped his gaze and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Bruce looked utterly worn out as if he hadn't slept for a week and Tony found himself frowning, apparently he wasn't the only one to notice as Alex draped an arm around Bruce's shoulder leaning on the older man a bit too much for Tony's liking.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, his voice low.

Bruce didn't reply at first nor did he attempt to shrug off the other man a gesture that had the billionaire growling at for some inexplicable reason. The young man persisted with his interrogation eyes not leaving Bruce's for a second.

"Martin, you know you can tell me right?"

There was something in Alex's voice, something wistful and almost longing that sent unpleasant shudders down Tony's spine and he only just fought the compulsion to grab hold of Bruce and drag him away. The physicist just gave a weary smile and shook his head slightly.

"It's nothing really... Just worrying about a friend that's all." He sounded as tired as he looked.

Alex frowned deeply and the billionaire felt guilt settle in his gut; Bruce had been worrying about him. The handyman's grip on Bruce's shoulder tightened slightly.

"Is this _the_ friend? The arrogant fucktard who only notices when you're there when they want something?"

The physicist's gaze narrowed and his lips tugged down in a frown.

"Alex they aren't like that and you know it..."

"But I don't Doc, all I know is what you tell me and all I can see is an ungrateful ass who doesn't know a good thing if it slapped them in the face. You're too good for them, you deserve to have someone who gives a shit about you, who'll notice you give a shit about them."

Bruce's frown deepened.

"I've told you before it's more complicated than you think..." He extracted himself from the handyman's grip "... And while I am extremely flattered... I-I just can't."

Alex gave a snort of derisive laughter and stuffed his hands into his pockets sullenly.

"Yeah, yeah I know Doc... So what did the idiot do this time?"

The physicist ran a hand through his hair and shrugged nonchalantly but Tony could see the tension in his body, the careful layer of control that only those who were looking would see.

"They've gone missing." His voice was sad.

Tony felt like an intruder in this conversation but he couldn't keep himself from listening, his morbid curiosity wouldn't allow him. He felt his heart twist with jealousy as Alex fawned over Bruce in an over affectionate show of support. It wasn't fair! Why was this little prick allowed to touch Bruce and flirt with Bruce? Yes he knew he was probably being a teensy bit unfair but fucking hell He. Was. Not. Happy. It wasn't everyday you sort of accidentally found out that one of your sort of best friends kinda liked you more than a fucking friend.

Why the fuck hadn't Bruce _told_ him? Told _him_ and not every other schmuck he apparently came into contact with.

_Because, genius, you're Tony Stark. You're notorious for messing with people's emotions._

Well there was that, damn the logical side of his brain.

But still he had thought Bruce had trusted him at least a little and he couldn't understand why it hurt so much that he didn't. He looked back at the two men; Bruce was looking increasingly uncomfortable and Alex still wasn't getting the hint that he wanted to be left alone. Quickly formulating a plan Tony stumbled forward faking a faint and knocking a few glasses to the floor. The noise drew the attention of the men and the physicist instantly appeared at Tony's side, professional demeanor fixed in place.

"Are you okay?"

The billionaire shook his head slowly and let himself go limp. Bruce reacted and caught him and as their eyes met Tony shot him a cheeky yet discreet wink and Bruce's eyes went wide momentarily before he replied with a small smile.

"Right let's get you to your room."

They staggered from the room and down the corridor to Tony's 'room' when they got inside Bruce removed his arm from around the billionaire's waist and ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"Thank you." He said earnestly.

Tony shrugged, it hadn't really been a big deal he had just seen how uncomfortable the other man had been with the situation and figured a way to extract him with the least amount of fuss.

"No seriously I mean it thank you, Alex means well but he can be a bit _overbearing_ at times. Although how you could tell I was getting uncomfortable was beyond me, we only met yesterday."

Again Bruce was staring at Tony as though he could see right through him but for the first time Tony realized that the other man had been seeing through him from the start, he'd just been too blind to notice. But now he was noticing and starting to understand _why_ he hadn't noticed in the first place.

He was scared.

He was scared of the other man getting to close and having the potential to hurt him.

Because he did like Bruce, the full extent of that 'like' only just becoming apparent to him. They got on well together, had similar interests and could science all night long but not only that they balanced one another out as clichéd as it sounded. Bruce calmed some of his more destructive influences and he in turn poked the bubble of isolation the man had erected around him and drew him out. They were a good team, more than a team and maybe just maybe more than friends.

The only problem now was communicating all this to Bruce and convincing him that he was who he claimed he was.

Slowly he stepped forward into the physicist's personal space and playfully ruffled his hair in a way that only Tony did as far as he was aware. Bruce's eyes went wide for a second and he watched, frozen on the spot as this Tony, this stranger moved in and drew him into a hug and he didn't do a damn thing to stop him.

Why wasn't he stopping him?

That feeling of familiarity was back and Bruce just couldn't find it within him to deny the other man especially since he needed the comfort himself. He hated to admit it but he was truly frightened for his missing friend and the more time that passed the more scared he became for Tony's safety. For all they knew Amora had sent the billionaire into another realm although Thor had reassured them that, that particular branch of magic was not within Amora's grasp due to the sheer amount of magic it required.

But still it had been over a day now and there had been no news, no sighting, and no stupid prank call.

And Bruce could feel himself getting desperate.

He knew he was over-reacting and that Tony could take care of himself but he had grown accustomed to having the other man around constantly and now that he was gone it was playing havoc on his equilibrium. It hadn't helped that he'd had to defend the other man to Alex and therefore made him think more about the whole situation when all he'd wanted to do was escape.

He sighed deeply and tried to regain his composure, this wasn't the time to turn into a bloody Disney princess. Slowly he pulled out of the embrace although Tony still had a hand rested on his shoulder, his head cocked slightly as if to ask 'are you okay?'

"I…Uh…"

Bruce felt sick in his stomach and couldn't bring himself to look the other man in the eye.

"I'm sorry, you just remind me so much of my friend… Silly little things like the looks you give and your gestures. I'm sorry… I shouldn't have…shouldn't have let you do that."

Tony felt his heart sink into his stomach he hated to see his friend seem so down and conflicted, when he would later look back at this moment he would honestly ask himself what the fuck he was thinking but at that moment he knew two very important things.

One: He hated the sad look on Bruce's face more than anything he'd ever seen in his life.

Two: He liked Bruce a lot more than he'd even thought previously.

And three (which had just made itself known to him): He had just thought of a way to make the sad look go away.

Before Bruce even had chance to react Tony had grabbed his chin and pulled his face towards him locking his lips with the other mans. He honestly didn't know why he did it other than the fact that he wanted to wipe the look off the physicist's face and he maybe, sort of, kind of wanted to but that was besides the point. The two men remained frozen in the embrace Tony's eyes sliding shut as he tried to coax a reaction out of the other man.

Bruce however just stood there completely still before he hesitantly returned the kiss his mind focusing on his missing friend and not the man actually kissing him. It was at this moment something strange happened. Around Tony the air shimmered and it was like Bruce was staring into a fog. The image of the man was distorted and the only thing he could make out was a glowing blue light just below his line of vision.

_Tony?_

Immediately the physicist pulled away and whatever had been happening around the other man vanished, leaving the grizzled visage behind. Bruce gaped like a dying fish before fleeing the room leaving a very confused Tony behind cursing under his breath, knowing that he had once again fucked up.

 

How Bruce made it back to the tower he wasn't quite sure; his mind had been completely vacant for the entirety of the journey. But sure enough he found himself in the elevator heading up to the private lab Tony had outfitted for his use.

Just what the fuck had just happened?

He still had no idea why he'd let the other man get that close to him never close enough to kiss him. And why had Tony done that? They barely knew one another; sure he'd helped the guy out but there were other ways of showing your thanks. And then there was the weirdness that had happened while they had been kissing; for the briefest of moments Bruce had honestly thought he'd seen the light of Tony's arc-reactor but when he'd pulled back the image had just vanished into thin air.

_Or reset itself..._

A terrible, horrible idea suddenly occurred to Bruce and he could have slapped himself for not thinking of it sooner. Thor had said that Amora definitely hadn't transported Tony anywhere, that didn't mean that she hadn't just hidden him in plain sight. Fuck, the more he thought about it the more it made sense and the more idiotic he felt. All he needed now was the proof of hypothesis.

He walked into the lab and had JARVIS pull up the security footage from when their friend had visited Stark Tower.

"JARVIS run the footage through the scanning software Tony developed."

"Yes Doctor Banner, is there anything in particular that we are looking for?"The AI asked, his tone slightly dubious.

There was a wistful smile on Bruce's lips as he remembered Tony making some obscure reference to a British fantasy series when he finally figured out a way to track and visualize Asgardian magic.

"Yes, Octarine.*"

Ten minutes later the physicist had his answer.

It was there, shimmering around the figure of the rough looking man; Octarine, the color of magic. Bruce's heart leapt into his throat as he tried to control the relief and utter joy surging through him.

Tony was _alive_ and _safe._

The joy was quickly replaced with embarrassment as the physicist realized that the billionaire now knew exactly how he felt about him, thanks to Alex and his own big mouth.

Oh damn that really wasn't good.

But knowing all that Tony had _kissed_ him.

_Tony_ had kissed _him_.

If that wasn't the smallest branch of hope Bruce had been ever thrown he didn't know what was but that was something to contemplate later. Right now he had work to do and he had a friend to save. Hoping that nothing disastrous had occurred in his absence (seriously it had been an hour, two at most; how much trouble could happen in that time?) he rushed out the tower and back toward the sanctuary.

 

Back in Tony's small, pokey room the billionaire in question felt like his world had just crumbled in on itself. How could he have been so _fucking stupid?_ Kissing Bruce had been one of the worst ideas he had ever had; he'd scared the man away and in the process had destroyed any hope of anyone discovering who he really was. Despair gripped his heart and he could feel the coolness of tears running down his cheeks.

He was so fucked.

"Tears Stark? I honestly thought you weren't capable of real emotion."

Tony whipped around so fast he was surprised he didn't get whiplash. There sat on the end of the dilapidated bed was Amora, a wicked smirk on her face, the billionaire growled and lunged for her but she teleported out of his grasp.

"Tut-tut Stark that certainly isn't the way to greet a lady..." Here the Enchantress's smirk widened "What's the matter? Cat got you tongue?"

Tony didn't respond choosing instead to glare at the woman lying provocatively on the bed. Amora merely yawned in response and stood to face the man.

"Disappointing, I was hoping that you would have made it more fun but unfortunately your little green friend has made it that I have to destroy you now."

The woman's hands began to glow green.

"But I'm all up a bit of sportsmanship, I'll give you... A ten second head start."

The billionaire didn't need to be told twice; he ran.

Ten.

Tony raced down the corridor.

Nine.

He realized the utter futility of his situation.

Eight.

He stopped in the corridor.

Seven.

Tony turned in time to see the door of his room blown off.

Six.

He watched as Amora strode out of the room and turned to face him, a smile that could only be described as diabolical on her face.

Five.

The billionaire watched as the woman drew her hand back, the sheer, raw power crackling along the delicate limb.

Four.

Tony mentally asked for forgiveness knowing that he had dragged the denizens of the sanctuary into this mess.

Three.

He closed his eyes hoping the end would be quick.

Two.

One...

"Get down!"

Tony winced as something collided with his midsection dragging him down toward the ground. He opened his eyes and saw Eric sprawled beside him his eyes wild and frightened. Acting purely on instinct the billionaire hauled the other man up and dragged him down the corridor as bolts of energy flew past both of their heads, incinerating everything the touched. Eric grabbed hold of his shoulder and dragged him into a storage room; holding a hand over his mouth to stop him making any unwanted noise.

"Tony... Tooooony. You and your friend can't hide forever." Amora cackled swanning gracefully past the door of the storage room.

In the room Eric stared at the billionaire brow furrowed in confusion.

"That's that crazy bitch the Avengers were fighting against the other day."

Tony nodded in response unable to meet the other man's eye, he could feel the guilt trying to worm it's way through his gut.

"So here's the big question; what the fuck does she want with you?"

Even if Tony had been able to reply he wouldn't have known what to tell Eric. _Yeah I'm really a multi-billionaire... Oh the clothes? Had a bit of a run in with a fashion conscious sorceress from another world and decided to take one for the team_. He could just imagine how well _that_ would go over. His thoughts were rudely interrupted as the door that both he and Eric had been leaning against imploded inwards sending the two men flying through the air.

Tony slammed against the far wall and winced as all of the air was knocked from his lungs. Beside him the older man groaned in pain clutching at his side and Tony was alarmed to see a steady stream of red spreading from beneath the man.

_Fuck. Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck._

The billionaire knew that couldn't be good, with all the grace of a tranquilized elephant he crawled toward the downed man. Eric looked up at him with a sloppy smile his eyes glazed and unfocused as he gazed at Tony.

"I-I guess H-hiding behind the d-door wasn't ma' best idea." He croaked weakly and Tony didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Why? Why had the stupid idiot pulled him out of harm's way? If he'd just let Tony do what he'd wanted this would all be over now and no one would be any the wiser; the stupid, noble _idiot_. He hadn't asked to be saved and now once again someone was paying because he'd survived.

Feeling fury rise in his chest the billionaire stood tall as Amora's shadow appeared in the doorway. He glared with all the venom he could muster refusing to back down to the vile woman, he might not be able to do much but he would protect the man who had saved him even at the cost of his own life. The Enchantress merely smiled in response flicking her wrist and sending the debris in front of her flying.

"Aww... Tony, I thought you loved me?"

Tony flipped a rude gesture in response that caused Amora to laugh shrilly before darting forward and catching him by the throat.

"I see my spell has done little to alter your attitude."

The billionaire squirmed in the woman's grasp; clawing wildly at the deceptively delicate hand that was slowly crushing his windpipe.

"Put him down."

That quiet, solemn and _oh so angry_ voice would have been music to Tony's ears if it hadn't caused Amora's hand to twitch and tighten.

"I see the beast finally deigns to show his face." She spat, turning slightly so that she could see Bruce and dangle Tony teasingly at the same time.

"I said... Put. Him. _Down_ Amora." Bruce's voice was getting rougher by the word.

The woman seemed to hesitate momentarily but then slid back into her collected mask, her eyes wary.

"Make me Beast because you and I both know that you will not let your _friend_ out here with so many victims waiting to happen."

The physicist closed his eyes and sighed running a hand through his unruly hair before opening his eyes, the usual brown replaced with vibrant, poisonous green.

"Try me..."

What happened next happened so quickly that it left Tony's head spinning. One second Bruce was standing there in the ruined doorway the next Hulk was there smashing Amora into the nearest wall and carefully extracting Tony from her iron grasp. The woman slumped to the floor unconscious and the billionaire had to choke down a painful laugh at the complete anti-climatic end to the whole situation. The Hulk carefully sat the man down on the floor, his green eyes piercing him right to the soul before the giant turned away.

"Tony okay?" He grunted lowly.

The billionaire nodded and felt his heart, which had been beating at triple it's normal speed begin to slow.

"Friend not, get Banner."

As quickly as the Hulk had appeared he shrank back down into his much smaller alter-ego and Tony felt himself gape in shock at the lack of struggle between the two beings. Normal Hulk fought with everything he had not to go back but here he'd happily given the reins back to Bruce and that was a colossal step forward. Bruce stumbled forward and landed on his knees; his whole body wracked with the shakes as he tried to regain his equilibrium after a very quick transformation and revert. After a few seconds he seemed to come back to himself and crawled toward Tony, clutching his ruined pants in an attempt to maintain at least so modicum of modesty.

He knelt in front of the billionaire and gave a small vague smile before clipping him around the head with an affronted air.

"Tony Stark you are a fucking idiot."

Tony wanted to retort; to huff in response but the sheer relief that somebody _knew_ who he was overwhelming and he felt a few treacherous tears begin to sting his eyes. He heard Bruce sigh in relief beside him and then felt a warm palm slip under his chin lifting his face upwards, much like he had done to Bruce several hours ago and then a slightly chapped pair of lips cover his own.

It was like a bolt of electricity to the chest and he could feel whatever enchantment Amora had put on him shatter into a million pieces, someone had seen him beneath this disguise and now he was free. As they parted he could see the wide, weary smile on the physicist's face.

"Welcome back Stark." There was a warm teasing lilt to Bruce's voice.

Tony swallowed, throat still aching. "Good to be back Doc." He answered, relieved to hear his own voice replying.

Beside him there was a groan and Eric's eyes flickered open.

"I m-must be d-elirious… because I thought I j-just saw the D-Doc turn into the H-Hulk and a h-homeless guy turn into T-Tony Stark."

The two men grinned sheepishly and Bruce moved forward brandishing an epi-pen filled with what Tony assumed was some kind of industrial strength pain killer.

"That about covers it." Tony replied smirking.

Eric couldn't help but gape in shock even as his eyes rolled around in his head as the pain killer kicked in.

"H-how?"

This time Bruce took the question. "It's a very long story my friend."

The older man grinned slightly "I-I got the t-time, I ain't g-going anywhere for t-the moment."

The billionaire couldn't hide the smirk.

"Well it all started on a beautiful by which I mean rainy New York morning…"

The team arrived about ten minutes later (Bruce had sent out the assemble call before he'd entered the sanctuary) brandishing a medical team and a severely pissed off Natasha, who had taken great pleasure in getting a few digs into Amora's stomach before cuffing her. Tony tried to look indifferent at the move but when he caught the Widow's eye he just couldn't resist the wink, more surprisingly she winked _back_. Eric was quickly patched up and transferred to the nearest hospital, which the man had initially protested (something about no health insurance). Tony had immediately shot the man down with a stern look rattling off something about paying off his debts; 'just charge it to me already and it's not charity, it's payment.'

After that the other man didn't argue but did flash a warm smile at the billionaire.

Finally the hubbub died down leaving just Tony and Bruce sitting on the step to the building. Someone had managed to procure a the physicist a fresh set of clothes and they hung loosely on his frame, something Tony immediately objected to with enthusiasm because _damn_ it was good to be able to talk again. After a few minutes of playful ribbing the two men lapsed into silence.

"So."

"So."

The two men stared at one another before turning away embarrassment evident in both of their postures. Why was this so difficult now?

"So…" Tony began, coughing to clear his throat "I've kinda been given the impression that you may like me in a way that is more than platonic."

As if the two kisses weren't a big enough indication to that fact.

"That seems like a logical assumption." Bruce responded, knowing the game Tony was playing.

The billionaire grinned "So you're saying that you _liiiiiiiiiikkkkke_ me."

"You like me too idiot." The physicist shot back, punching Tony playfully in the shoulder.

Tony fell silent rubbing the spot on his arm where the other man had punched him and then turned back his face completely serious.

"Yeah, I do."

Bruce's eyes widened at the simple admission he hadn't expecting Tony to end the game so quickly; he expected his friend to play around what had happened teasing Bruce about his ridiculous crush before coming to his senses that 'this was a stupid idea' and letting him down gently. It appeared he'd been wrong, the look on Tony's face was all business.

"Bruce, talk to me." There was a panicked tone to Tony's voice.

Bruce didn't know what to say.

"I…"

"Okay was that a bit too strong? Because sometimes I do that… but it's the truth I really like you, I just hadn't realized quite how much until this whole head-fuck happened…" Tony was babbling but he needed to get this off his chest "Alex was right I was blind and an utter prick to not see the amazing person I had in front of me but I want to make it up to you now because as much as you saw me, I finally saw you the way you ought to be seen and it blew me away."

Bruce Banner, the man who housed the Hulk and had been around the world more times than anyone one could count sat and gaped as _the_ Tony Stark sang his praises.

"That was incredibly cheesy…"

Tony winced.

"But probably the nicest thing anyone has said to me for a long, long time."

The billionaire relaxed and smiled warmly, draping his arm across Bruce's shoulder and the two of them fell into contemplative silence.

"So is this a thing then?" Tony asked quietly.

Bruce seemed to think for a second before smiling. "Yeah, I guess it is… Although it's gonna have to go slowly. It's been a long time and I'm not sure of my limits."

Tony's smile could have lit up a thousand galaxies.

"Fantastic, now let's get back to the tower I have been having explosion withdrawal symptoms and am in dire need of blowing something up."

Bruce pretended to mind as the other man dragged him along the street and back home.

 

Three weeks later Tony stood on a podium in front of a tiny host of photographers and journalists. He smiled warmly as he cut the ribbon to the newly renovated sanctuary to a barrage of flash photography.

"I learned some hard truths recently…" He began "… New York is constantly in turmoil be it from alien attacks or bombings and while it is all well and good to repair the buildings it does very little to repair the lives of those affected. I was one of those people who though rebuilding just meant rebuilding. Now I hope that this Sanctuary will help those to rebuild who have lost everything."

From the side of the podium Bruce smiled warmly at his partner, the last three weeks had certainly been an experience and both of them were better men because of it. Tony's experience in the Sanctuary had really shaken him to the core and questioned some of his principles and with Bruce's help they'd come up with a plan. The billionaire wanted to help more than just funding repairs and so Bruce had suggested instead of funding the repairs maybe he should fund the people; like a grant so they could get their lives back on track and when they were back on their feet they could pay back a small amount into the pool to help the next victims.

Tony had loved the idea and he knew exactly where he wanted the scheme based.

It had honestly almost been worth the whole ordeal just to see the look of complete shock on Consuela's face when he'd gone and told her that Tony Stark wanted to use the Sanctuary to start a 'People fund,' she'd actually cried in happiness and then given him the third degree about how he managed to pull off a miracle. Eric had just given him an amused look and carried on with whatever he had been doing, the secret of what had happened that night still safe between them.

"Hey Doc, how are you doing?"

Bruce turned to see Alex across the way rapidly approaching and felt a smile spread across his face.

"I'm good Alex, how have you been?" He offered his hand which the young man enthusiastically shook, holding on perhaps a tad longer than necessary.

"Yeah Alex how _have_ you been?" Tony's voice cut in behind him and the physicist felt an arm wind its way around his shoulder.

Alex meeped slightly and instantly dropped the hand he'd been holding, a slightly fearful look on his face a complete counter-balance to the predatory one on Tony's. Bruce rolled his eyes deciding to spoil the billionaire's fun, although he had to admit a possessive Tony was kind of hot.

"Alex meet Tony Stark, my… um friend."

If the younger man's eyes could go any wider they would have fallen out of his head and he tried not to gape in open shock as the pieces began to fit together.

"Y-you… and him…" He regained his composure and whistled lowly "… I really didn't stand a chance did I?"

Bruce smiled somewhat apologetically shaking his head and Alex shrugged in response.

"Ah well you win, some you lose some…" He turned to walk off raising a hand in goodbye before adding as an afterthought "Wish you all the best Doc and I swear if you hurt him Stark I _will_ hurt you."

Bruce couldn't contain the small chuckle of laughter at the completely affronted look on Tony's face.

"Did that little upstart just _threaten_ me?" The billionaire asked.

"Why yes, I believe he did." Bruce replied sill laughing.

Tony grumbled under his breath his grip on the physicist tightening and the other man sighed knowing he'd have to soothe the childish emotions before his partner decided to do something he'd later regret.

"Come on let's get home, we'll go make some explosions."

The billionaire's brow furrowed.

"I thought Pep's put the labs on lockdown because of the incident yesterday."

"She did…" Bruce replied shooting the man a wicked, sultry smile as Tony's mind worked it out.

"Oh… _Oh!_ "

~The End~

**Author's Note:**

> AN: HOLY FUCK! I swear when I started this it wasn't meant to be this long. Jesus this is the longest one shot I've EVER written and THERE WASN'T EVEN ANY SMUT WTF? And seriously the next time I decided to write a _Tony_ based story where _he doesn't talk_ somebody please shoot me, honestly what was I thinking? XD.
> 
> Uh… Comment's are always loved. *Glomps all ma peeps.*
> 
> *This a reference to the 'Discworld' series, which if you like comic fantasy you should _SO_ read!


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